Baywater Massage now has On Line Booking.
Just like buying movie tickets, ordering groceries or filing your taxes, you can now book Massage Therapy at Bayswater on the web.
Getting started is this easy:
1) Follow this link to Mindbody, our on line booking server
2) Click the 'search' button on the bottom of the page
3) Click the word 'book' next to the first available appointment.
4) A log-in page will pop up;
a) if you're a regular patient of ours, you will have already received an email from us with your user name and password, enter them under 'been here before' and click 'log in'.
b) if you don't have a password, enter your first and last name under 'new to our site', click 'next' and complete the account form.
5) Once you're in the system, some of you may see a window asking for credit card information. Fill it in if you want us to have that information on file, but you don't have to. If you'd rather keep that private, check the box 'Do Not Alert Me Again' and click 'Ignore'.
6) Now you're ready to book your appointment. Click the Appointments tab at the top of the page to take you back to the start page.
7) Select your preferred treatment, (30 min, 45 min, 60 min, etc.), therapist, day and time and click 'search'.
(Currently, while we're testing this new system, only two RMTs - Peter Roach and Dave Campbell - are available to book on line. All Bayswater RMTs are still reachable via phone and email).
8) Once you've completed your booking, a confirmation email will be sent.
9) You can always go back to the site to cancel or change your appointment.
10) And you're done!
Remember, this is a new tool to help make your booking experience as easy as we can. It does not replace the phone, or email or whatever other method you've used in the past to connect with Bayswater Neuromuscular. If you're more comfortable contacting us the way you always have, that won't change.
That being said, we encourage you to try it out and see what you think. If you have any questions or feedback (positive or constructive) we look forward to hearing from you.
Tuesday 3 March 2015
Wednesday 20 March 2013
New Equity Extended Medical Benefits
I see a lot of actors in my practice, most of whom are members of Equity, The Canadian Actors Equity Association (CAEA). Recent changes to the Equity extended medical benefits package will have an impact on coverage for massage therapy.
Check your insurance premium tax receipt for 2012. It will your clarify your eligibility for year-round coverage in 2013.
If you have any other questions about the new insurance plan, call the members-only toll-free line at 1-800-387-1856.
On-Contract coverage stays the same (mostly)
When you're working:- You're still reimbursed up to $600 per year
- Treatment can start any time during the life of the contract and up to one week after the show closes.
- Coverage continues for 3 months after the contract ends (max 6 visits).
- You don't need a doctor's referral; just submit your receipts with the official paramedical claim form.
Massage Therapy now covered year round.
When you're not working (as long as you've had at least eight (8) weeks of work last year on Levels 2, 3, 4), you're covered year-round for massage therapy with a 50% co-pay.Check your insurance premium tax receipt for 2012. It will your clarify your eligibility for year-round coverage in 2013.
If you have any other questions about the new insurance plan, call the members-only toll-free line at 1-800-387-1856.
Friday 12 October 2012
Ice or Heat?
Question #1: "Ice or Heat? Which is better after a massage therapy treatment?"
The simple answer is Ice.
There, that was easy than I thought, see you next week!
Oh, wait, I should probably explain it a little more.
After a massage therapy treatment, especially one that leaves you feeling a little sore, it's a good idea to spend some time with an ice pack. The reason for that is that any kind of focused manipulation of soft tissue (a.k.a. massage therapy) can trigger an inflammatory response. The area will be sore, red, warm, and maybe a little swollen. And ice is a great tool for reducing inflammation.
What should I use?
A frozen gel pack is the most common therapeutic ice application. They're pretty cheap and available at drug stores, grocery stores, sports stores, etc. If you don't have one and need something right away, you can use ice cubes (in a towel or plastic bag), frozen food (peas are good - but you probably won't want to eat them after), or a dry towel that's been in the freezer for a few hours. If there's no freezer around, a cold-water compress can also be very effective.
How do I use it?
What about heat?
Probably the easiest heat application is a hot bath or shower. If you have sore muscles in the morning, spend a extra minute or two under a hot shower and let the water warm-up the tissue. (You can also do some light stretching while you're there).
Don't put heat on something that's already swollen, or showing other signs of inflamation, (redness, warmth, sharp pain, loss of function). It will just make the area more inflamed. And don't lie on heat source, always have it laying on you.
Heat is also good to use before your massage therapy treatment.
What if I have a low tolerance for cold/heat?
Then use whatever feels most comfortable to you. If you're told to use ice, but you can't stand the cold, then you're probably not going to use anything. So, it's better to control the pain with heat, even if it's not the best application for the situation, than to use nothing and suffer needlessly.
The use of cold or hot water for therapeutic effect is called hydrotherapy and it has many more uses than just ice packs and hot water bottles. I'll have more to say about that in future posts.
If you want to read up on the subject, try Laurel Fowlie's book An Introduction to Heat & Cold as Therapy. It's a reader-friendly textbook with a lot of good information.
I hope that was helpful for you. Comments or questions are always welcome.
Keep Moving.
Dave Campbell RMT
The simple answer is Ice.
There, that was easy than I thought, see you next week!
Oh, wait, I should probably explain it a little more.
After a massage therapy treatment, especially one that leaves you feeling a little sore, it's a good idea to spend some time with an ice pack. The reason for that is that any kind of focused manipulation of soft tissue (a.k.a. massage therapy) can trigger an inflammatory response. The area will be sore, red, warm, and maybe a little swollen. And ice is a great tool for reducing inflammation.
What should I use?
A frozen gel pack is the most common therapeutic ice application. They're pretty cheap and available at drug stores, grocery stores, sports stores, etc. If you don't have one and need something right away, you can use ice cubes (in a towel or plastic bag), frozen food (peas are good - but you probably won't want to eat them after), or a dry towel that's been in the freezer for a few hours. If there's no freezer around, a cold-water compress can also be very effective.
How do I use it?
Wrap your ice pack in a towel, (never let it come in direct contact with the skin) and apply it to the affected area for 15 minutes. Remove and leave it off for 20-30 minutes then reapply.
If you follow this on/off cycle, you'll reduce swelling and control pain without risking tissue damage from prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures.
What about heat?
Heat is very good for chronic problems, dull aches, joint pain, tired muscles, etc.
Moist heat is best; use a hot water bottle or heat up a gel pack or wet towel in the microwave. (If you use an electric heating pad, make sure it's a moist heat pad meant for therapeutic use.)Probably the easiest heat application is a hot bath or shower. If you have sore muscles in the morning, spend a extra minute or two under a hot shower and let the water warm-up the tissue. (You can also do some light stretching while you're there).
Don't put heat on something that's already swollen, or showing other signs of inflamation, (redness, warmth, sharp pain, loss of function). It will just make the area more inflamed. And don't lie on heat source, always have it laying on you.
Heat is also good to use before your massage therapy treatment.
What if I have a low tolerance for cold/heat?
Then use whatever feels most comfortable to you. If you're told to use ice, but you can't stand the cold, then you're probably not going to use anything. So, it's better to control the pain with heat, even if it's not the best application for the situation, than to use nothing and suffer needlessly.
The use of cold or hot water for therapeutic effect is called hydrotherapy and it has many more uses than just ice packs and hot water bottles. I'll have more to say about that in future posts.
If you want to read up on the subject, try Laurel Fowlie's book An Introduction to Heat & Cold as Therapy. It's a reader-friendly textbook with a lot of good information.
I hope that was helpful for you. Comments or questions are always welcome.
Keep Moving.
Dave Campbell RMT